With its light and airy feel, spacious work areas, and custom touches, it’s hard to imagine that this luxury kitchen almost never made it to completion. The house was built for a buyer who ended up abandoning the project midway due to financial difficulties. In order to save the home, the builder ended up buying back the property that was already custom designed and partially built for a specific customer. With only the framing up in the kitchen, the builder called designer Amir Ilin of Küche+Cucina to save the space and turn it back into a show kitchen—one that would sell the house.

Ilin started by changing the 48-inch refrigerator to a full 36-inch fridge and a full 36-inch freezer, adding a third more refrigeration storage. Besides the fridge/freezer, he positioned two floor-to-ceiling pantries that both have an additional storage space accessed from behind the decorative columns on the side. This entire unit was designed to look like an elegant piece of furniture.

On the range wall, Ilin created a hearth-designed hood that offers an open shelf on each side of the range top for spices and other cooking ingredients. A large island was positioned in the center to serve as a prep area, additional storage, and a place to take a seat.

Carved moldings, large corbels, tall columns, and other carvings and details were added as finishing touches. Ilin then chose an elegant white paint and white marble counters, which contrast beautifully with the dark wood-stained interiors on the open shelves, behind the glass doors, and on the island’s wood top. This contrast of tones warms up the space and adds a look of luxury to this reconfigured room.